(Author's note: The Filipino word Manong is a term of respect reserved for an elder)
White Sand Beaches of Market Street
By Tony Robles
A manong I’d met a
While back but whose
Name I couldn’t remember
Recently approached me on
Market Street
Hey Pinoy!
He said
I recognized him but
Didn’t know from where,
When or why so rather than
Pretend I said:
Oh Manong, long time no see,
I’ve missed you so much. How
Are you, how is your family? Oh
How I’ve missed you, you link to
My ancestral and indigenous past
(etc. etc. etc)
The manong looked at me like I’d
Lost my mind but smiled anyway
And we were out on a sunny day
On Market Street, just the two of us
He looked at me through
Thick glasses, the wind blowing
Through his thick head of hair
Overcome with gray and flecked with
Embers of memory dust
Have you ever been
To the Philippines?
He asked
No, I said but
Told him that I wanted
To go someday
You should go,
He said, they got
White sand bitches
You mean
Beaches?
Yes, bitches. You
Hear of Boracay?
Yes, I heard of it.
Are there any other places
In the Philippines with
White sand beaches?
Yes…but Boracay is
A resort, hotels and
Bitches all over
I looked at the manong’s
Hair that was slowly
Turning sandy white like
A beach
I felt the
Breeze in
Our faces
We were in
Boracay